


euphoria (when i'm with you)

by witchofobscenity



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Brother/Brother Incest, Gender Dysphoria, Incest, M/M, Slow Burn, Trans Hypnos, Trans Male Character, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:26:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28003863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchofobscenity/pseuds/witchofobscenity
Summary: In a world that won't stop changing, Hypnos and Thanatos are the only constants in each other's lives.
Relationships: Hypnos/Thanatos (Hades Video Game), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This whole fic is basically me projecting onto Hypnos. Trans stuff obviously, but also neurodivergence and just weird habits. I think it works well for him though. I guess I've been Hypnos all along. 
> 
> Than is cis but trying his best. We love a good big brother. 
> 
> Than and Hypnos's relationship is still pretty platonic in this chapter but it's working it's way to incest. Don't worry. I'll keep adding tags as needed, but for now its pretty tame.

Thanatos loved his brother with all of his heart, but Hypnos was so often a mystery to him. 

There had never been a time before Hypnos. Thanatos only had a few minutes on his own before his brother came screaming into the world right behind him. There was just no separating the two of them. Thanatos and Hypnos were a package deal; you didn’t get one without the other. As much as it may have frustrated Thanatos at times, it was just one of the accepted facts of his life. 

Another fact of Thanatos’s life was that Hypnos was his brother. Thanatos had accepted it much earlier than everyone else. It was hard for him to picture a time when he had seen Hypnos as his sister. The words felt wrong, even just in his head. As much as it was undeniable to him, Thanatos could see why some people had trouble understanding it.  _ He _ didn’t understand it all the time. 

For example, he had just returned home from a long night of studying at the library and Hypnos was lounging on the living room couch in a pleated red skirt. 

“Hey, Than!” he called cheerily when he saw his brother enter the room. 

“Hello, Hypnos,” Thanatos replied cautiously. “What- uh, what are you wearing?”

Hypnos looked down. 

“Oh,” he said, fidgeting with the hem. “I ran out of clean jeans. Can you believe this still fits? It was in the back of my closet.”

Thanatos didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like he had never met another trans person before. Hypnos had been the first, but Hypnos had been the first everything. It just seemed that most trans people he knew or had seen on tv hated being reminded of their before life. Hypnos didn’t seem bothered by it at all. 

“I guess you haven’t grown much since freshman year,” Thanatos said finally. Hypnos laughed. 

“These might even be from middle school,” he said thoughtfully. He had both feet up on the coffee table, spread apart enough that Thanatos could see his boxers peeking out from underneath. He knew Hypnos had never been much inclined to shave even before he came out, but it was hard to see his white leg hair against his long pale legs. 

Hypnos pushed himself off the sofa and got to his feet. “I’m hungry.”

“Well we have a kitchen full of food,” Thanatos told him, but he knew where his brother was going.

“Will you make me something?” Hypnos asked, putting his hands together like he was begging. “Please?” 

“You are fully capable of making yourself food,” Thanatos argued. “You’re going to college next year. Do you plan to starve?” 

Hypnos pouted at him. “You’re better at it.”

Thanatos rolled his eyes, but it was true. Hypnos, who had once burned cereal by setting it on the stove without realizing it was on, could be a menace in the kitchen. 

“Fine,” Thanatos conceded. “What do you want?”

The two of them made their way to the kitchen. Hypnos was bouncing up and down on his toes. 

“Hmm,” Hypnos said. “How about pancakes?”

“It’s past midnight,” Thanatos pointed out. 

“It’s breakfast time somewhere!” Hypnos chirped. 

“I don’t think that’s how the saying goes,” Thanatos told him, but he was already going through the pantry, searching for pancake mix. 

Hypnos was twisting his hips back and forth so the skirt twirled around him. The motion caught Thanatos’s eye and he turned to look. 

“Swishy swishy swishy,” Hypnos mumbled to himself, joining his brother in his search.

Hypnos may not have grown larger in the past few years, but he had certainly grown taller. The skirt, which had been a modest length when he had bought it, now barely made it halfway down his thigh. Thanatos’s eyes felt drawn to the milky skin beneath it. 

“It’s stupid,” Hypnos said and Thanatos finally drew his gaze from his brother’s thighs. 

“What?” Thanatos asked, slightly flustered. 

“That guys aren’t supposed to wear skirts,” his brother continued. “They’re more fun than pants.”

“I suppose,” Thanatos agreed, pulling the box of pancake mix from the pantry. He didn’t really have any experience with skirts, but he could see the appeal. Hypnos looked at him thoughtfully. 

“I bet you’d look good in a skirt,” he said. 

“Is that so?” Thanatos asked, trying to hide his embarrassment as he walked around the kitchen, pulling out what he needed from various cabinets. 

“Probably not something like this,” Hypnos admitted, pulling at the hem of his skirt. Thanatos very pointedly did not look. “But something more goth.”

“You think I’m a goth?” Thanatos laughed. 

“You kinda dress like a vampire,” Hypnos told him. 

“I do not,” Thanatos protested. He dressed professionally. It wasn’t his fault that darker colors suited him more.

“How old are you?” Hypnos asked.

“What?” Thanatos asked, very confused. “You know I’m seventeen. We’re the exact same age.”

“And how long have you been seventeen?” Hypnos asked conspiratorially.

“Hypnos, I swear to God if you are quoting Twilight at me, I’m going to disown you,” Thanatos said, pointing the wooden spoon he had just pulled out of a drawer at his brother.

“About three things I was absolutely positive,” Hypnos sighed. “First, my brother was a vampire.”

“That’s it,” Thanatos said finally, shooing Hypnos out of the kitchen. “Get out.”

“Second,” Hypnos continued, unbothered by his brother’s attempts to remove him from the room. “There was a part of him-and I didn’t know how potent that part might be-that thirsted for my blood.”

“I’m serious, Hypnos,” Thanatos warned. “I’m not going to make you pancakes.”

“And third,” Hypnos said, placing a hand delicately over his heart and looking off into the distance. “I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”

Thanatos crossed his arms and glared at him.

“Really?” he asked.

“To be fair,” Hypnos said, putting his hands up in surrender. “You  _ did _ know right away that it was Twilight.”

“Get  _ out _ ,” Thanatos said finally, pushing Hypnos from the room, his brother cackling all the way. 

  
  
  


Hypnos never really seemed bothered by anything. There were plenty of things in his life that could have made him cold and jaded, but he was always warm and bubbly. Thanatos respected that. He was even a bit envious of it. In a world that Thanatos found unbearably dull and grey, Hypnos was a ray of sunshine. 

That made it so much more jarring when something did bother Hypnos. 

Thanatos remembered it happening when they were children. Hypnos hated his long hair. Well, hate may have been too strong a word. Thanatos couldn’t really see his brother hating anything. However, Hypnos very much did not like it.

His hair was curly and often a mess, no matter how often Thanatos ran a brush through it for him. Hypnos was always complaining that it was too much work, but Thanatos knew it was more than that. They were too young to put it into the right words, but they both had some idea that Hypnos was not a girl like everyone else seemed to think. 

“I just wanna cut it all off,” Hypnos moaned, tugging on a curl. 

“Why don’t you?” Thanatos asked. They were in Hypnos’s room, lazing on the floor, a board game lying abandoned in front of them. 

“I don’t know,” Hypnos said quietly. “It’s just… kinda scary, you know? I’ve always had long hair. I’m scared of being someone different.”

Thanatos considered that for a minute. 

“You wouldn’t be a different person,” Thanatos decided finally. “You would be you, just happier. It doesn’t matter what you look like.”

Hypnos curled his knees into his chest and wrapped his arms around them. 

“What if I went with you?” Thanatos suggested. “To get your hair cut.”

Hypnos didn’t say anything.

“What if…” Thanatos said slowly. “What if I got my hair cut too?”

Hypnos turned to look at him, eyes wide.

“But you love your hair,” his brother protested. 

It was true. Thanatos was very proud of his long silver hair. It was straight and fine, totally unlike his brother’s. He wore it down most days, but sometimes their mother would braid it for him. It was delicate and elegant, very much like Thanatos himself. 

Thanatos held a few strands between his fingers, staring at them contemplatively. 

“Well, I love you more,” he said finally. Hypnos sniffed loudly. Thanatos turned to see his brother crying into his arms.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Thanatos told him, concerned. “Are you alright?”

Hypnos nodded. He looked up and he was smiling, tears still dripping down his face. 

“Thank you, Than,” Hypnos said, wiping his cheek with the back of his hand. Thanatos felt embarrassed. It was just hair. For him at least. He could take it or leave it. He would give anything for his brother to be happy. 

“Maybe mom can take us today?” Thanatos offered. It was better to do it now, before either of them lost their nerve. Hypnos nodded.

A few hours later, the twins emerged from the barbershop with their freshly cut hair. Hypnos kept running his fingers through it, as if he couldn’t believe it was actually gone. His smile was even brighter than normal. It almost hurt for Thanatos to look at. 

“Don’t you two look handsome,” Nyx told them. Hypnos beamed at her.

“It looks good on you,” Thanatos agreed.

Hypnos took his brother’s hand in his own. “Thank you,” he said, giving Thanatos’s hand a squeeze. Thanatos looked away.

Hair was unimportant. Thanatos would have given up anything in the world to see his brother smile.

  
  
  


Thanatos wished he could solve all of his brother’s problems as easily as getting a haircut. Why did growing up have to make everything so complicated?

The two brothers sat around the dining room table on a Friday night, papers and textbooks scattered around the wooden surface. Well, Hypnos’s papers and textbooks were at least. Thanatos had all of his things stacked in a neat pile. Hypnos groaned loudly and let his face fall into one of the books he had open before him.

“I’m trying to study,” Thanatos said, irritated. 

“So am I,” Hypnos moaned, voice muffled. He looked up at his brother without actually lifting his face from the pages. “I just don’t get this.”

“It would help if you stopped falling asleep in class,” Thanatos told him, not looking up from his notes. 

“I’m gonna fail all my midterms,” Hypnos sighed. 

“How about you stop complaining and actually look over your notes?” Thanatos suggested. 

Hypnos was silent for a moment.

“What if I don’t actually get into any colleges?” he asked, much more quiet and subdued than normal. 

Thanatos finally tore his gaze from the papers in front of him. Hypnos wasn’t looking at him anymore. He was just staring at the wall, eyes unfocused. He looked uncharacteristically forlorn. Thanatos sighed and set his notes aside.

“You’re going to get into college,” he told his brother. “You just need to focus a little more.”

“Even if I do, it won’t be the same school as you,” Hypnos mumbled. 

“You don’t even want to go to any of the schools I’m applying to,” Thanatos pointed out.

“I know,” Hypnos said, finally lifting his head and looking at his brother. “It’s just… I’m worried you’re going to go on to be super successful at college and I’ll stay here and achieve nothing. I don’t want to get left behind.” 

Thanatos frowned at him. 

“I’m not going to leave you behind,” he said gently. “Just because we have different paths in life, doesn’t mean we won’t be together.”

“Doesn’t it?” Hypnos asked. Thanatos was shocked to see tears forming in his brother’s eyes. “Than, you’re the other half of my soul. I can’t imagine living without you.”

Thanatos pushed out of his chair and rushed over to his brother, immediately wrapping his arms around him. 

“You don’t have to,” he said softly, dropping his chin onto the top of Hypnos’s head. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

“You are though,” Hypnos hiccupped. “You’re going off to school next year.” 

“You’re going to go off to school as well,” Thanatos assured him. “We’ll both learn new things and make new friends and have new experiences. That doesn’t mean we won’t still be brothers.”

Hypnos sniffed into his sleeve. Thanatos’s heart ached. They really were two halves of one soul. He hated to see his brother in pain. It felt as if the pain were his own. 

“I could help you study,” Thanatos offered. Hypnos said nothing but nodded. Thanatos disentangled from his brother and moved to pull his chair around to the other side of the table. 

“What chapters is your midterm covering?” he asked, pulling one of Hypnos’s textbooks toward him. Hypnos wiped his eyes on the back of his hand. 

“Uh, up to chapter five,” he said weakly. Thanatos nodded and began leafing through the book. Hypnos reached out and touched his brother’s hand. Thanatos stilled for a moment, turning to look at him. 

“Thanks, Than,” Hypnos said, giving him a weak, watery smile. Thanatos felt his heart break. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for his brother. 

“Of course,” he said curtly. Then he smiled. Thanatos didn’t smile often. He wasn’t unhappy so much as very serious. Hypnos was one of the few people that could bring that out in him. This seemed to please Hypnos, who smiled much wider in return. 

“Let’s start with chapter one, then,” Thanatos said, turning back to the textbook, face flushed. Hypnos nodded and leaned forward to rest his head on Thanatos’s shoulder. 

The future was looming ahead of the two of them so ominously. Things were going to have to change, one way or another. Even if it wasn’t bad, it was definitely scary. The best they could do was stay close and ride it out together. There was nothing Thanatos couldn’t do with Hypnos at his side. They would face this challenge as they faced every challenge: as brothers.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who's read or commented or left kudos on this fic so far! I thought I had finally grown too niche to get much of a response, but I've received so much love. I really appreciate it!
> 
> This chapter STILL has no smut. Not to say there's not stuff I'm proud of in here. I had a lot of fun writing it and I think it's pretty good. It's just baffling to me that I'm posting something other than porn. (Don't worry, the porn is coming. We will both just have to be patient.)

Despite their inevitable separation next year quickly approaching, Thanatos and Hypnos managed to get by. Hypnos, by some miracle, passed all of his midterms which made the holiday break much more enjoyable. Hypnos’s happiness was infectious but his sadness even more so. 

Thanatos spent the first few days of their vacation frantically putting together college applications, which were due right after break. Hypnos spent that time playing video games. When Thanatos finally emerged from his room on Christmas Eve, eyes bloodshot from staring at his computer screen going over his essays for the hundredth time, he found his brother lounging on the couch in the living room. Hypnos paused his game when he heard Thanatos come in.

“Hey, Than,” he greeted. “I thought you were gonna spend the entire break in your room.”

“College applications are important,” Thanatos grumbled, collapsing onto the couch next to his brother. The living room had been completely rearranged to make room for their enormous Christmas tree. Thanatos had to admit, it was pretty impressive. Hypnos and their mother had spent all morning decorating it. 

“So is relaxing,” Hypnos countered. “It’s a break. So take a break!” 

Thanatos looked over at his brother. Hypnos had gone back to his video game, furiously tapping buttons. He was wearing a loose fitting tank top, which was not unusual, but today he was very clearly not wearing anything underneath it. One of the straps had slid down his shoulder and the whole garment was sagging. Thanatos went very red, noticing that this left part of Hypnos’s breast visible. 

“Hypnos,” Thanatos said, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Your shirt is, uh…”

“Hmm?” Hypnos mumbled, pausing his game again to look down. He laughed and tugged his top back into place.

“Oops,” he giggled. “Sorry for the rogue female presenting nipple.”

“I… don’t know what that means,” Thanatos said, still flustered. 

“I just meant I didn’t mean to flash you,” Hypnos told him, clearly amused and not at all embarrassed. He turned to lean against the arm of the couch and draped his legs over Thanatos’s lap. “Though I guess I see your nipples all the time. It’s only fair.”

“Why aren’t you wearing your binder?” Thanatos asked, not keen to continue with their nipple discussion. 

“The boys need their freedom sometimes,” Hypnos said, shrugging.

“What boys?” Thanatos asked, brow furrowing. 

“The boys,” Hypnos repeated, grabbing at his chest. “They need to breathe, Than.”

Thanatos felt his face go even redder. 

“O-oh,” he said. “But aren’t you… don’t you feel uncomfortable like this?”

“You’ve clearly never worn a binder,” Hypnos laughed. “They are not comfortable, even the good ones.”

“No, I meant…” Thanatos said, stumbling over his words. “You don’t feel, uh, dysphoric?” 

Hypnos looked at him thoughtfully. Thanatos felt a bit panicked. That was the right word, right? He tried to keep up with all the terms and phrases Hypnos threw around. 

“Not really,” Hypnos said finally. He sat the controller in his lap. “There are all kinds of guys. I’m just a kind of guy with tits. It feels pointless to hide them all the time.”

Thanatos nodded. That made sense. It didn’t seem like the normal trans narrative, but when was Hypnos ever normal? As long as his brother was happy, Thanatos was happy.

“Besides,” Hypnos said, smiling at Thanatos. “You see me as a guy no matter what I look like. That’s what’s important.”

Thanatos felt his heart skip a beat. Sometimes looking at Hypnos’s smile was like looking at the sun. It was just too much for him. Hypnos went back to playing his game, but Thanatos let his gaze linger on his brother. Hypnos was biting his bottom lip in concentration, eyes hyper focused on the screen. Thanatos found he couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

He hadn’t realized how long he’d been staring at his brother until Hypnos yawned and set the controller down.

“Break time,” he mumbled, scooting down the arm of the couch until he lay completely on his back. He let his head droop to the side and his eyes flutter shut.

“If you sleep too long now, you won’t be able to sleep tonight,” Thanatos warned. “Then Santa won’t come.”

“I can always sleep,” Hypnos mumbled. Thanatos smiled down at his brother. He let his hands rest on Hypnos’s legs which were still in his lap. Hypnos’s foot twitched but he made no effort to get Thanatos’s hands off of him. 

It was going to be a good Christmas.

  
  
  


On Christmas morning, Thanatos awoke to Hypnos kicking in his bedroom door.

“Wake up, Than! It’s Christmas!” Hypnos yelled obnoxiously. Thanatos sighed and opened his eyes. 

“You’re up before me?” Thanatos yawned, sitting up. “It must be a Christmas miracle.”

“Get up,” Hypnos yelled, launching himself onto his brother’s bed, landing on his stomach. Thanatos grunted as all the air was knocked out of him. 

“How am I supposed to get up with you on top of me?” Thanatos grumbled. Hypnos laughed and sat up, still in Thanatos’s lap. 

“Aren’t you excited?” Hypnos asked, bouncing up and down. Thanatos winced as he was crushed beneath him. “It’s Christmas.”

Thanatos looked over at his alarm clock. “It’s 6 in the morning.”

“On Christmas!” Hypnos argued. He had stopped bouncing but was still basically straddling Thanatos’s lap. 

“Get off me, Hypnos,” Thanatos told him firmly. He didn’t want to admit it but his brother writhing around on his crotch was… doing things to him. He definitely did not want Hypnos to find out. 

Hypnos stuck his tongue out at him but climbed off of his brother. He stood by the side of Thanatos’s bed expectantly. He was clad only in a baggy t-shirt, a pair of boxers, and a santa hat. 

“I’ll get up if you go put pants on,” Thanatos bargained. 

“Christmas is no time for pants,” Hypnos argued.

“You’re going to catch a cold and I don’t want to put up with all of your complaining if you do,” Thanatos said. Hypnos laughed. 

“Aw, you do care about me,” Hypnos teased. 

“Just go put some pants on and I’ll meet you downstairs,” Thanatos told him. All he wanted was for Hypnos to leave before he realized how hard Thanatos was. 

“Fine,” Hypnos conceded. “But you better hurry down! I wanna open presents.”

Hypnos headed out of the room but paused in the doorway. He turned back, hand on the frame. 

“You should probably take care of your boner first, though,” Hypnos said, grinning cheekily at his brother.

“Get  _ out _ ,” Thanatos yelled, face very red. He threw a pillow at Hypnos who cackled and ran off.

  
  
  


Thanatos took his time getting ready, just to spite his brother. He took a nice long shower and dressed at a leisurely pace. However, Thanatos, despite how he taunted Hypnos, was also excited for Christmas and there was only so long he was willing to stall. 

When he finally made it downstairs, Hypnos was lying flat on his back on the floor under the tree. He popped up immediately when Thanatos entered the room.

“Took you long enough,” he complained. Then his frown became a smirk.

“Taking care of  _ business _ , huh?” Hypnos asked, winking. “I understand.”

Thanatos flushed in anger and embarrassment. It may have been true, but it was none of Hypnos’s business. Besides, their mother was right there.

Nyx either didn’t notice or didn’t care about Hypnos’s crude allusion to his brother masturbating. She patted the couch next to where she was sitting.

“Come, my child,” she said warmly. “Your brother needs to open presents soon or he will drive me insane.”

Thanatos chuckled and joined his mother on the couch. Hypnos had already divvied up the gifts so there was a small pile of packages waiting for Thanatos when he sat down. He watched in amusement as his brother immediately started ripping through wrapping paper and tossing pieces into the air around him. 

Hypnos was like a little kid sometimes. It wasn’t that he was stupid or even immature neccesarily. He just had a childlike innocence. Something about him had remained untainted by the awful world around him. It made Thanatos want to protect him. 

A few hours later, after everyone had opened their presents and Hypnos had fallen asleep in the piles of wrapping paper debris, there was a knock on the door. Hypnos startled upright. 

“I’m up, I’m up,” he said blearily. “Was that the door?”

“Yes,” their mother told him. “It’s probably your brother. Go answer it.”

Hypnos turned to stare at Thanatos, confused.

“Your  _ other _ brother,” Thanatos sighed. Something must have finally clicked in Hypnos’s head. He jumped up and ran to the door.

“Charon,” he cried, pulling it open. Their brother was standing on the front step, looking as sullen as ever. However, he wasn’t alone.

“Hello,” the other man greeted, smiling. “You must be Hypnos. My name’s Hermes. Your brother and I work together.”

Hypnos stood in front of the door, squinting at the newcomer. Thanatos, who had followed a few paces behind his brother, pulled Hypnos aside by the elbow.

“Nice to meet you,” Thanatos greeted, also stepping to the side so Charon and Hermes could come inside. “I’m Thanatos.” 

“I didn’t know you were bringing company,” Nyx said, getting up from the couch to join them in the entryway. “You should have said something. I would have had something prepared.”

Charon grunted in return. Hermes laughed, cheerily. 

“Very sorry to intrude,” he said. “I just needed a break from my own family for a few hours so I begged Charon to let me tag along.”

Charon nodded. Hermes was very friendly. He reminded Thanatos a bit of Hypnos but if his brother was sped up. Nyx whisked Charon and Hermes away to the kitchen with a promise of fresh coffee. 

“Who brings a coworker with you to see family on Christmas?” Hypnos whispered. “They’ve got to be dating, right?”

“That’s none of our business,” Thanatos told him firmly. Hypnos was silent for a moment.

“Maybe they’re just fucking,” he said finally. 

“ _ Hypnos _ ,” Thanatos scolded. Hypnos laughed and ran to join them in the kitchen. Thanatos sighed, thinking that he should really just be thankful Hypnos had put pants on. 

It was a very nice visit. Charon was characteristically quiet, but Hermes just babbled on and on about what was going on at their job and then about his own family. They sounded like they could have their own reality tv show. Thanatos was struggling to keep track of who was who and who was related to who, but it was certainly captivating. 

“Your family is a little crazy,” Hypnos told him. Thanatos frowned at him, but Hermes only seemed amused by it.

“A little,” he agreed. “But that’s family, right? You’d die for them, but only if you don’t kill them first!”

“I can relate to that,” Thanatos said, looking very pointedly at Hypnos. Hypnos laughed and bumped their shoulders together.

“I know you love me,” he teased. 

“Sometimes,” Thanatos shot back.

Hermes smiled at them. “I wish I had a twin,” he said. “I have plenty of siblings and cousins, but none of us are as close as you two.”

“It’s not as glamorous as it looks,” Thanatos told him, pushing away Hypnos’s face as he tried to kiss his cheek.

Charon grunted at Hermes, who looked at his watch.

“You’re right, it is getting late,” he said. “It was great meeting all of you, but we’ve got to head out now.”

“It was wonderful to see you,” Nyx said, hugging both of them. “And nice to meet you, Hermes.”

“Yeah,” Hypnos agreed. “Charon be sure to bring your  _ professional associate _ with you again next time.”

Thanatos elbowed his brother in the side. He had all but put air quotations around the words. Charon glared at their younger brother, but that might have just been his face. It was hard to tell. 

They all said their final goodbyes and Charon and Hermes left. 

“They’re definitely fucking,” Hypnos said. Thanatos rolled his eyes and walked away.

  
  
  
  


It was getting dark outside. Christmas was almost over. Thanatos found himself lounging lazily on the couch next to his brother. Hypnos was dozing lightly. He was still in his pajamas. The pants he had been forced to put on had little reindeer and candy canes on it. It was childish but honestly kind of cute. 

“Are you going to shower?” Thanatos asked, nudging his brother awake. Hypnos grumbled unintelligibly and turned to curl into Thanatos’s side. 

“You can’t sleep on me until you take a shower,” Thanatos told him, squirming away from him. “You stink.”

“I smell like roses,” Hypnos mumbled, but he sat up, yawning and stretching. He settled back into the couch, not making any effort to get up to shower but also not going back to sleep.

“Did you have a good Christmas, Hypnos?” Thanatos asked. “Get everything you want?”

Hypnos seemed to consider the question. He pulled off the bow he had stuck to his head. He looked at it for a second before sticking it to Thanatos’s chest.

“Hmm?” Thanatos looked down at the bow and then back up at his brother.

“You’re my present this year,” Hypnos told him. 

Thanatos felt his face go very red. He looked down at the bow again. What was he supposed to say to that? Thank you? That he felt the same way? 

“Hypnos, I…” Thanatos started, looking back up at his brother, but stopped when he realized Hypnos was laughing.

“I’m sorry, it’s just...” Hypnos giggled. “It’s this commercial… I mean…”

“It was a joke,” Thanatos said, feeling himself go even redder. Of course, Hypnos was just messing with him. 

“Are you upset?” Hypnos asked, sounding surprised. 

“Of course not,” Thanatos huffed. He looked away, annoyed.

“Aw, come on,” Hypnos said, dropping his head onto his brother’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

Thanatos said nothing. He plucked the bow from his chest and handed it back to Hypnos. Hypnos took it and stuck it back on the top of his head.

“Don’t sulk, Than,” Hypnos whined. “You’re my present every year. You know that.”

Thanatos smiled at that. He put his hand on his brother’s knee. “Merry Christmas, Hypnos.”

  
“Merry Christmas, Than,” Hypnos chirped back.

Thanatos let his head fall against his brother’s. It really had been a very good day. He felt content. Both twins were silent for a moment.

“Now go shower,” Thanatos said, elbowing his brother.

Hypnos groaned and stood up. “Fine,” he said, sighing dramatically. “Just don’t go anywhere while I’m gone.”

“Where would I go?” Thanatos laughed.

“Just don’t leave!” Hypnos repeated as he walked away.

Thanatos smiled at his brother as he made his way upstairs. He would never leave Hypnos. 

Never. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no control over this fic. I don't know how long it will be or what will happen next. I hope you will all join me in finding that out, though. We will get through this together. 
> 
> If you want to follow me (and are over 18!!!!), I'm @obscenitywitch on Twitter.
> 
> Merry (almost) Christmas!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little short because it was originally supposed to be one long chapter with the next section but then it got to be almost 4k words and I decided it was time to stop. I actually wrote this section in one night like a week ago but I was waiting to post it until I had the whole thing done. I guess I didn't need to wait, but this means you guys get two chapters in like two days so that's good haha
> 
> I have added the 'slow burn' tag because I have admitted that this is in fact a slow burn fic. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but here we are. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Most of the twins’ winter break passed without incident. Thanatos did manage to bully Hypnos into finishing his college applications. In turn, Hypnos forced Thanatos to spend some of his break relaxing. Before they knew it, it was New Year’s Eve. 

Nyx had been called into work unexpectedly so it was just Thanatos and Hypnos in the house that night.

“Shouldn’t we be at some big, crazy party?” Hypnos asked, sipping a flute of champagne. “I thought that was like the typical high school experience.”

“Maybe that’s just in movies,” Thanatos said, not looking up from his laptop. “I’ve never even been to a high school party.”

“That’s because you’re a square, Than,” Hypnos told him.

“Have you been to one?” Thanatos asked. “And I don’t think people say square anymore.”

Hypnos stuck his tongue out at his brother. Thanatos finally looked up at him.

“You shouldn’t be drinking,” Thanatos said, frowning. “We’re still seventeen.”

“It’s not like I’m driving anywhere,” Hypnos laughed and downed the rest of his glass. 

“Don’t come crying to me when you wake up with a hangover,” Thanatos told him mildly. 

Hypnos laughed and set his glass on the coffee table. He settled back into the couch, leaning on his brother. They were in the living room, watching some coverage of New York City, waiting for the ball to drop. Or at least Hypnos was watching. 

“Are you gonna work all night?” Hypnos whined. “Your applications are perfect. Every college is going to love you. Can’t you relax for one night?”

“These are due in a few days,” Thanatos said, squinting at the computer screen. 

“That’s enough,” Hypnos said, pushing Thanatos’s laptop shut, who huffed in protest. “You’re going to go gray worrying about this.”

“My hair is already gray,” Thanatos pointed out. Hypnos sighed.

“You are missing the point,” he continued. “You need to live a little! Have some champagne.”

“No thank you,” Thanatos said, but set his laptop to the side. 

Thanatos had to admit that watching tv with his brother was more fun than going over his college applications over and over and over again. Hypnos was chatting and laughing and singing along loudly whenever there was a musical performance.

“Hypnos, we have neighbors,” Thanatos reminded him, but he was smiling.

“It’s New Year’s Eve,” Hypons said dismissively, waving his glass around. Thanatos hadn’t been counting but was pretty confident his brother had already had three or four. “It’s the one night a year that we’re expected to be up late.”

“Doesn’t mean they want to hear you singing,” Thanatos countered, taking the glass away from Hypnos before he made a mess. 

“I sing like an angel,” Hypnos informed him. His face was flushed pink and it looked like he was having trouble focusing on Thanatos. Thanatos frowned.

“I shouldn’t have let you drink so much,” he sighed. 

“We need to live while we’re young,” Hypnos said, struggling a bit with the words. “C'est la vie, carpe diem, something else foreign.”

Thanatos smiled at him despite himself. “I don’t think that’s a valid legal excuse for underage drinking.”

“Shh,” Hypnos interrupted, putting a finger to his brother’s lips. “The countdown is starting.”

Thanatos watched in amusement as Hypnos counted down along with the people on the tv. Next year was going to be different. They would both turn eighteen and go off to school. Maybe Hypnos was right. They should live in the now, take advantage of the time they still had like this.

“Three, two, one. Happy New Year!” Hypnos cried. Then, without warning, he grabbed Thanatos’s face and brought their lips together.

Thanatos froze. He may not have had a drop to drink but suddenly his head was spinning. His brother’s lips felt so warm and soft against his own. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. Thanatos had never been high but he figured it probably felt like this. It was a dangerous, addictive feeling. After what felt like hours but was probably only a few seconds, Hypnos pulled off of him. 

“Happy New Year, Than,” Hypnos told him, patting his cheek.

“You’re drunk,” Thanatos said, slightly breathless.

“No, you’re just blurry,” Hypnos giggled. 

“Alright,” Thanatos said, picking up the remote and turning off the tv. “I think it’s time for bed.”

“No,” Hypnos whined. “We need to ring in the new year!”

“What you need,” Thanatos said firmly, pulling his brother up off the couch. “Is to drink some water and go to sleep.”

Hypnos grumbled incoherently but allowed himself to be dragged to the kitchen. Thanatos poured him a glass of water and handed it to his brother.

“Drink,” he commanded. Hypnos complied and Thanatos didn’t watch as some of the water spilled out over his lips and down his jaw. He didn’t follow those droplets off water as they slid down Hypnos’s neck and disappeared into the neckline of his shirt. That wasn’t what brothers did. And Thanatos was a good big brother. 

“Done,” Hypnos said, handing the glass back to Thanatos. Thanatos didn’t feel a spark of electricity when Hypnos’s finger brushed against his. 

“Now,” Thanatos said firmly. “Bed.”

“Yes, mom,” Hypnos said, sticking his tongue out. 

Thanatos grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around, marching him towards the stairs. Hypnos stumbled a bit going up but eventually made it safely to his room. He immediately collapsed onto his bed. Thanatos frowned at him.

“You can’t sleep in your binder,” he told his brother. Hypnos mumbled something into the pillow. “I’m serious. It’s not good for you.”

Hypnos didn’t move so Thanatos sighed and made his way to his brother’s bed. He maneuvered Hypnos into a sitting position and pulled his shirt up over his head. Hypnos put up no resistance but also didn’t help at all. Thanatos paused, hands on the hem of his brother’s binder. He had to do this. It was for Hypnos’s sake. 

Thanatos tugged and pulled until he had worked the tight garment off of his brother’s slim frame. He held the binder in his hand, trying very hard not to stare at his brother’s now bare torso. Hypnos was so pale his skin looked almost white. His breasts were fairly small, but perky. Thanatos felt incredibly guilty, noticing how attractive his brother looked when he knew how uncomfortable Hypnos was with that part of his body. Then he was overcome with even more guilt because he shouldn’t find his brother attractive at all in the first place. 

Thanatos tore his eyes away from Hypnos’s body and reached for the first shirt he could find, discarded on the bedroom floor. He tossed it at his brother. Hypnos managed to pull it over his head and fell back onto his bed. Thanatos quickly walked to the door. Hypnos would have to sleep in his jeans. There was only so much Thanatos could do.

“Night, Than,” Hypnos slurred. 

“Good night, Hypnos,” Thanatos responded, voice strained. He flicked off the light and made his way to his own room. Once he had shut the door behind him, Thanatos dropped his head into his hands and groaned. 

Shit. He was in big trouble, wasn’t he?

  
  
  
  


The next morning, Hypnos awoke with a pounding headache and rushed to the bathroom to throw up. Thanatos found him there, moaning and clutching the toilet. 

“Why did you let me drink so much?” Hypnos asked, looking up at his brother. Thanatos felt bad. Hypnos looked pretty miserable. Still, it was his own fault.

“To teach you a valuable lesson,” Thanatos told him. Hypnos groaned and pressed his face to the cool porcelain. “Have you learned it?”

“Yes,” Hypnos said pathetically. “Can you please get me some water?”

Thanatos felt his pulse quicken when his brother looked up at him again. He looked so small. Thanatos was supposed to protect him. That was his job. He shouldn’t be having these weird, complicated feelings about Hypnos. He should be taking care of him, watching out for him. 

Thanatos nodded and quickly left the bathroom. As he walked down to the kitchen, he decided that he’d just have to ignore whatever strange feelings had stirred within him. He couldn’t let Hypnos know. It wouldn’t be fair to put any of that on him. It was better to just pretend nothing had happened. 

Thanatos thought, even as he heard his brother retching upstairs, that he had certainly had the worse night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're getting into some good angsty, incestuous shit now. Still no porn, but it's coming. I promise. (Eventually.)
> 
> I have the next chapter written, so I should be able to edit it and post it soon! 
> 
> I'm @obscenitywitch over on Twitter if you wanna come watch my descent into madness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second half of the big chapter I was planning! I realize this entire fic is silly and self indulgent but this chapter is like especially silly and self indulgent. This is the kind of fic I wrote in middle school. (I did actually write a sleepover fic in middle school but you will never ever find it.) 
> 
> Also, if you're wondering, Than and Hypnos's birthday is in January because my friend thought Death and Sleep would be Sagittariuses.

Once they got back to school, Thanatos found it easier to pretend nothing had changed. He and Hypnos didn’t have any classes together, so they spent most of their days apart. Even with his college applications submitted, Thanatos was spending his free time studying. His advanced classes were no joke. Some nights Nyx had to coerce him into going to bed. 

“What are you two planning to do for your birthday?” Nyx asked Thanatos and Hypnos over dinner one night. Thanatos paused. Their birthday had completely snuck up on him.

“It’s next week, isn’t it?” Thanatos said. “I almost forgot.”

“It’s our eighteenth birthday, Than,” Hypnos said. “How could you possibly forget?”

“I have a lot on my mind,” Thanatos told him. He was also expending a lot of energy  _ not _ thinking about certain things. 

“Well, all your college applications are in and you can stop obsessing over your classes for two seconds to think about our birthday,” Hypnos said. 

“Fine, what do you want to do?” Thanatos asked, picking at his food.

“Let’s go to a club,” Hypnos said cheerily. 

“No,” Thanatos shot back immediately. “Hypnos,  _ you _ don’t even want to go to a club.”

“You two are turning eighteen, not twenty one,” Nyx reminded them.

“It was a joke,” Hypnos whined. 

“Perhaps you could just invite your friends Zagreus and Megaera over,” Nyx offered. “You used to do that every year growing up.”

“Perfect,” Hypnos said loudly, slamming a fist into the table. “Let’s have a slumber party!”

“Hypnos, we’re almost adults,” Thanatos sighed. “Don’t call it a slumber party.”

“We can watch movies and do makeovers and talk about boys,” Hypnos went on, ignoring his brother. “This is gonna be fun!”

“Do I get a say?” Thanatos grumbled. 

“Of course,” Hypnos told him. “But you’d break my heart if you said no.”

Hypnos turned to face his brother with an exaggerated pout, eyes wide and sad. Thanatos felt his face go warm. 

“Please,” Hypnos begged. “I can get on my knees if you want.”

“Fine,” Thanatos said quickly. Just the words coming out of his brother’s mouth were enough to send his mind to a very dangerous place. If Hypnos did get on his knees, if only to tease him, Thanatos didn’t know if he’d be able to take it. Hypnos begging him. Hypnos on his knees. Hypnos… 

No! That was so incredibly wrong. Thanatos pushed down any feelings he had creeping into his chest. Focus. Back to the party. 

“You’re the best, Than,” Hypnos told him, smiling brightly. 

“I’m not so sure about that,” Thanatos mumbled to himself. 

  
  
  


The next Friday, Thanatos found himself in the living room, surrounded by his brother and two closest friends. Hypnos and Zagreus were playing a game on the tv and Megaera was on her phone. She may have looked bored to an outside observer, but Thanatos had known her long enough to see through her deadpan expression. He noticed she would smile to herself ever so slightly whenever Zagreus moaned that he had died again. 

“Do you guys feel different, being adults?” Zagreus asked. He had set down his controller, giving up for the time being. 

“Not really,” Thanatos mused. He looked to his brother who appeared to be too caught up in his game to answer.

“Well, are you excited for all your new legal freedoms? We could go out and get cigarettes or lottery tickets,” Zagreus continued. 

“It will be nice to be able to vote in the next election,” Thanatos answered. Hypnos put his hand to mouth and blew into it, making a loud fart noise. Thanatos glared at him. “Our civic duty is important.”

“That’s so boring, though,” Hypnos told him. “We could buy porn!”

“You could be in porn,” Zagreus pointed out.

“We could  _ be  _ in porn!” Hypnos gasped, pausing his game.

“Hypnos,” Thanatos warned.

“Do you think there’s money in bratty pre-op twink porn?” Hypnos asked.

“Probably,” Megaera said without looking up.

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure,” Zagreus agreed.

“No one is doing porn,” Thanatos said firmly. Hypnos laughed. 

“You’re just jealous that I’d be better at it than you,” Hypnos teased him. “I’d lure in so many freaky old men who’d pay anything to watch me shake my ass.”

Thanatos refused to acknowledge what his brother was saying. His face was going very red though.

“I can use my sexy voice too,” Hypnos continued. He pitched his voice up and spoke breathlessly. “Yes, daddy, please, I’m so hungry for your-”

“I’m going to go see if mother needs help in the kitchen,” Thanatos interrupted, standing up suddenly. He hurried out of the room before anyone could respond. 

“I thought we were ordering pizza,” he heard Zagreas say. “What help would your mom need?” 

Hypnos just laughed. The sound went right to Thanatos’s gut. He tried desperately to keep his thoughts at bay. He could get through tonight. Everything would be fine. He just needed to stay focused. He couldn't get caught up. He could do this.

Thanatos turned back and accidentally caught his brother’s gaze. Hypnos smiled and winked at him. He felt his stomach drop and his ears burn. 

Alright, maybe not. 

  
  
  


Thanatos hid out in the kitchen until the pizza arrived ten minutes later. By then, he had his thoughts under control. Mostly. 

Dinner was uneventful. Hypnos had dropped his porn star aspirations or at least knew better than to mention it in front of their mother. Either way, Thanatos was grateful. They mostly talked about their classes and what schools they were hoping to hear back from. 

Finally their mother brought out the cake and everyone sang. 

“Make a wish,” Nyx told her sons. Hypnos looked like he was thinking very hard, then nodded. 

Thanatos didn’t know what he wanted to wish for. He wanted to get into a good college, but that felt like a waste of a wish. A deep, forbidden part of his brain suggested that he wish for Hypnos to kiss him again. But really… what he wanted was for his brother to be happy. That was more important than anything else. He imagined his brother’s smiling face as he and Hypnos blew out the candles. 

After cake was eaten and presents were opened, Nyx shooed the four of them into the basement so she could sleep in peace. 

“What should we do now?” Zagreus asked, collapsing onto the old and slightly yellowed couch. No one spent much time in the basement, so everything was a little older and starting to fall apart. 

“We could play ‘spin the bottle’,” Hypnos suggested, holding out the soda bottle he had just finished drinking.

“I’d rather play ‘beat you over the head with the bottle’,” Megaera said blandly. Hypnos quickly set the bottle down and put his hands up in surrender. 

“What else do you do at slumber parties?” Hypnos asked. 

“It’s not a slumber party,” Thanatos reminded him.

“We could have a pillow fight or play truth or dare,” Hypnos said eagerly. 

“We’re not a bunch of preteen girls,” Thanatos sighed. 

“I don’t know, truth or dare could be fun,” Zagreus said. Megaera rolled her eyes.

“You boys have fun with that,” she told them. “My secrets die with me.”

The three boys sat in a circle on the floor while Megaera lounged on the couch. Hypnos had pulled up a list of questions on his phone and was scrolling through them. Thanatos felt a little uneasy. He didn’t want to have to lie but he also had a life-altering secret he was definitely not going to share. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. 

“Alright, Than,” Hypnos said finally. “Truth or dare?”   
  


“Truth,” Thanatos answered cautiously. 

“Hmm,” Hypnos mumbled, scrolling through the list. “What’s your biggest fear?”

His biggest fear was losing Hypnos. Thanatos couldn’t imagine anything more terrifying than that. That didn’t feel like the right thing to say at a party though. 

“Spiders,” Thanatos said after a moment. 

“Boo,” Hypnos jeered. “That’s so boring.”

“I don’t like how they move,” Thanatos said, shrugging. Hypnos stuck his tongue out at him and handed him the phone. 

“Zagreus,” Thanatos said, taking the phone and squinting at it. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Zagreus said confidently. Of course. Thanatos looked at all the possible challenges the site Hypnos had found was suggesting. Some of them were gross or dangerous, but most of them were just stupid. 

“These are all horrible,” Thanatos said, frowning. 

“C’mon Than, don’t be so serious,” Hypnos whined. 

“Yeah, I’m fine with doing something stupid,” Zagreus encouraged. 

“Eat a raw onion,” Thanatos said, sounding resigned. 

“I can do that,” Zagreus said confidently, standing up and running upstairs.

“This game was a bad idea,” Thanatos sighed.

“Lighten up,” Hypnos told him. “It’ll be more fun if you get into it.”

A minute later, Zagreus returned, onion in hand. 

“Do I just take a bite out of it?” he asked, looking uncertainly at the onion.

“I guess,” Thanatos answered. “It doesn’t say.”

Zagreus stared at the onion before shrugging and taking a large bite out of it. Everyone stared at him as he chewed. 

“It’s not bad,” Zagreus said smiling. Thanatos rolled his eyes.

“Oh my god, Zag, that’s so gross,” Hypnos laughed.

“Good luck getting anyone to kiss you now,” Megaera said, going back to her phone.

“I’m sure Hypnos would still kiss me,” Zagreus said, looking at him.

“Nice try, onion breath,” Hypnos told him. Zagreus pouted at him.

“Than?” he asked, turning to face Thanatos. 

“Can we just move on to the next question?” Thanatos grumbled. Zagreus put a hand over his heart and fell dramatically to the ground.

“You wound me,” he said. 

“Just take your turn,” Thanatos said, handing the phone to Zagreus. Zagreus sat up and took it.

“Hypnos,” Zagreus said, facing him. “Truth or dare.”

“Truth,” Hypnos said, face very serious. Zagreus took a minute to stare at the screen. 

“Do you have any fetishes?” Zagreus asked.

“I really don’t need to know this,” Thanatos said. He tried to stand up to escape but Hypnos grabbed his arm.

“Please don’t leave,” Hypnos said, pouting. “It’s my birthday.”

“It’s my birthday, too,” Thanatos reminded him, frowning. Hypnos didn’t let up so Thanatos just sighed and sat back down. Hypnos smiled at him and turned back to Zagreus. 

“Exhibitionism, I guess,” Hypnos said. Thanatos groaned and put his head in his hands. This was going to be a long night.

  
  


The three of them played for a while longer. They found that there were a lot of gross things that Zagreus was willing to eat and that neither he or Hypnos had a lot of shame. Thanatos, after having been made to howl like a wolf (and was subsequently called a furry by his brother), stuck to answering questions. Hypnos, however, had put ice cubes down his pants, let Megaera slap him across the face, and then had her put eyeliner on him. 

“Alright,” Zagreus said seriously, looking at Hypnos. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Hypnos replied, just as serious. Thanatos rolled his eyes. They were treating this like an important, high stakes game when Zagreus had just taken a shot of mustard. 

“Let’s see,” Zagreus mumbled, looking through the list. “What’s a good one? Hmm… Give someone a lap dance!”

Hypnos put a finger to his chin, looking back and forth between Zagreus and Thanatos. He appeared to be giving his decision a great deal of thought.

“Really?” Zagreus asked. “The choices are me and your  _ twin brother _ and you don’t know who to pick?”

“Did you give me that dare just so I would give you a lap dance?” Hypnos asked, narrowing his eyes.

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Zagreus said, quickly. “I was saying-”

“Just for that,” Hypnos interrupted. “I pick Than.”

“Do I get a say?” Thanatos asked, annoyed.

“Nope,” Hypnos told him. He crawled over to where his brother was sitting on the floor. He threw one leg over Thanatos and straddled his lap. Hypnos put a hand on his brother’s shoulder and winked at him. Thanatos felt his face go very red and his pulse quicken. This was a bad idea. This was a  _ terrible _ idea. He had to stop this right now. 

“No,” Thanatos said, shoving his brother off of him. Hypnos yelped as he fell on his ass. “Nope. That’s it. Game over.”

“Hey,” Hypnos protested. “That’s not fair.”

“Does that mean I win?” Zagreus asked. 

“You don’t win at truth or dare,” Hypnos argued. 

“Sounds like something a loser would say,” Zagreus taunted.

“Enough,” Megaera said and the two boys fell silent. “I need my beauty sleep. It’s time for bed.”

“But you’re already so beautiful,” Hypnos told her. 

“I know,” Megaera said. “I just want you to stop talking.”

“That’s fair,” Hypnos said, nodding. 

The four of them got ready to go to bed. Megaera took the couch and the boys spread out blankets and pillows on the floor. There was rustling and murmerings as everyone got settled but eventually the room grew silent, except for Zagreus’s occasional snore. 

“Hey, Than,” Hypnos whispered. “Are you awake?”

“No,” Thanatos mumbled. Hypnos scooted over to lay closer to him.

“This has been a pretty good birthday, huh?” he said.

Thanatos rolled over to face his brother. The room was dark now, the only light coming from the tv playing old kids shows on mute. The faint glow made Hypnos’s features look soft and almost otherworldly. 

“Yeah,” Thanatos agreed, smiling at his brother. “It has.”

“This might be our last birthday we spend together for a while,” Hypnos mused. Thanatos hadn’t thought about that. They would probably both be away at different schools next year. It was hard to imagine having a birthday without Hypnos. 

“I guess we had better make this one count then,” Thanatos said. Hypnos gave him a big smile.

“We’re together,” he said quietly. “That’s what’s important.” 

Thanatos felt his heart flutter. He nodded in agreement. Hypnos closed his eyes and curled up next to him. It only took a few minutes for him to fall asleep, his breathing slow and even. 

Thanatos rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He only had so much time left with Hypnos. Things would be so different next year with both of them off at school. He really did have to make this time count. 

He had to stop acting so weird around his brother. He couldn’t avoid Hypnos forever. He didn’t want to avoid his brother. Thanatos loved Hypnos. No matter what weird feelings he had for him, he didn’t want to shut Hypnos out. He had to get over whatever he was going through so he could be there for his brother. He would suffer through it if it meant he got to see Hypnos happy. 

Thanatos rolled back onto his side to look at Hypnos. His face looked so gentle and innocent. Thanatos smiled at him. 

He couldn’t imagine anything he wouldn’t suffer through for his brother. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is already almost my longest fic and there's still a lot I have left to write. I didn't ask for this, but I'm gonna see it through. So buckle up, I guess.
> 
> Find me at @obscentiywitch on Twitter. I'm probably saying something stupid.

**Author's Note:**

> This was not supposed to be a multichapter fic but apparently I can't write short little oneshots anymore. I have some idea where this fic is going and have some future scenes planned out (it's definitely gonna earn the E rating), but I'm kinda making this up as I go. I have no idea how long it's gonna be. 
> 
> You can find me on Twitter at @obscentiywitch! It is an 18+ account, though, so please don't follow without some indication that you're over 18. I'm tired of soft blocking people.


End file.
